The agreement aims to integrate advanced carbon-based technologies into the civil and military sectors, opening new frontiers in terms of lightness, safety, and operational capability.
Fincantieri has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aeronautical Service, a SME-companyspecialized in the development of advanced aerospace solutions, to launch a strategic collaboration focused on the large-scale adoption of carbon-based composite materials and innovative technologies in both civil and military naval applications.
The agreement was signed in La Spezia during Seafuture 2025 by Mauro Manzini, Vice President Sales of the Fincantieri Naval Vessels Division, and Kris Bordignon, CEO of Aeronautical Service.
Through this partnership, Fincantieri takes a decisive step forward in the implementation of its industrial strategy, which seeks to extend the Group’s technological perimeter beyond the use of steel, consolidating its role as an enabler of innovation also in the most advanced and high-tech market segments.
Carbon composite materials, enhanced with nanotechnologies and proprietary engineering solutions, provide a set of key benefits: structural lightness, reduction of radar, infrared and magnetic signatures, high mechanical strength, ballistic protection, fire resistance, and modularity. These features make them strategic both for the evolution of military platforms and for civil applications in sectors where performance and safety are essential.
In particular, the cooperation will focus on the development of a new Fast Patrol Boat (FPB), built in carbon-fiber composites enhanced by nanotechnology. The unit will also feature state-of-the-art stealth performance through reduced radar (RCS), infrared, and magnetic signatures, while ensuring safety and resilience thanks to multifunctional composite materials with fire-retardant and ballistic protection properties. The unit will also be equipped with integrated self-defense systems and will support operations with drones, loitering munitions, and advanced surveillance and communication technologies. Payloads will be fully reconfigurable to adapt to different mission profiles.
The agreement further confirms Fincantieri’s ability to collaborate effectively with the SME ecosystem, leveraging specialized expertise and promoting innovation through open and synergic industrial models.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, stated: “With this agreement we clearly affirm our pioneering role in introducing composite materials at sea. It represents a technological paradigm shift that aims to combine innovation, safety and sustainability across all strategic civil and military applications. We are pleased to collaborate with Aeronautical Service, a technologically advanced SME, to jointly design the next generation of shipbuilding.”
“For Aeronautical Service, it is a great honor to collaborate with a group of excellence such as Fincantieri,” said Kris Bordignon, CEO of Aeronautical Service. “This fully Italian agreement strengthens our mission to transfer innovation to leading industrial partners, enhancing our expertise in advanced materials and next-generation platforms.